Background of IR in Bangladesh

Labor Laws in Bangladesh before, 2006

During the Pakistan regime the Factories Act, 1934 continued up to1965. The then East
Pakistan meeting repeated the said Act and in its pace re!enact the same and passed the East
Pakistan Factories Act,1965 "Act #$ o% 1965&. The Act 'as passed in the meeting on the 5
th
August, 1965 and 'as pu(ished in the )a*ette dated 1
st
+eptem(er,1965. A%ter i(eration o%
,angadesh on the -6
th
.arch,19/1 the Act remained in %orce. 0o ma1or change in the Act
has 2et (een made. The a's 'hich this 3ode has repaced 'ere made most2 during the
,ritish 3oonia regime and Pakistan period and the2 'ere as man2 as 54 in num(er. #n man2
cases these a's 'ere out!o%!date, spread, con%icting and o%ten o5erapping each other. #n
199- a 6a(or 6a' 3ommission 'as %ormed (2 the )o5ernment o% the da2 'hich e7amined
44 a(or a's and recommended to cance -/ a's and it prepared a dra%t 6a(our 3ode in
1994. This dra%t o% 6a(or 3ode,1994 undergo series o% changes in its seection stages and
%ina2 the ,angadesh 6a(or 3ode -446 'as passed (2 the Pariament on 8cto(er 11,-446.
The ,angadesh 6a(or 3ode -446 is one o% the 5er2 recent a's 'ith ma1or o5erhauing
changes in the %ied o% a(or egisation.
Law and Change
#n de5eoped societies there are three main or an2 to (ring a(out changes in a' e.g,
egisature, 1udiciar2 and e7ecuti5e. 8n e7acts a', another interprets 'hie the other en%orces
it. #n man2 ancient societies such di%%erentiation o% ega %unctionaries is ess de5eoped and
there a the o5er processes o% a' are e7ercised and handed (2 the same (od2 or e%t to the
discretion o% the %ami2. ,ut 'hat man2 (e the appearance and %ormation o% the
%unctionaries9 i.e, the processes as are per%ormed distinct2 to some e5e and the changes in
a' occur. +ocia change and changes in a' are interacting processes in a societies. +ocia
stud2 as 'e as comparati5e stud2 o% a' ma2 open up ne' directions to socia pro(ems and
their soutions. D2namic technoogica cuture o% the modern societies depends arge2 on the
pursuit o% statesmen, a'2ers, socia scientists and their skis and a(iities %or (etter smoother
agreement in the i%e and i5ing o% peope as socia human (eings.
Labor law in present:
The ,ritish coonia regime and Pakistan period there 'ere man2 a(or a's. #n man2 case
these a's 'ere some 'ords ike :'orker9 'ere outdated, scattered, inconsistent and other
:empo2ee9 :o'ner 9 :empo2er9 etc had di%%erent o5erapping each other meanings under
di%%erent a's. As a resut sometime man2 pro(em. +o in 199- a a(or a' commission 'as
%ormed (2 the go5ernment o% the da2 'hich e7amined 44 a(or a's and recommended to
cance -/ a's and it prepared a dra%t a(or code in 1994. This dra%t o% a(or code ,1994
undergo series o% changes in its seection stages and %ina2 the ,angadesh a(or code -446
'as passed (2 the Pariament on 8cto(er 11,-446. The ,angadesh a(or code -446 is one
o% 5er2 recent a's 'ith ma1or o5erhauing changes in the %ied o% a(or egisation. +ection
353 o% the code has repeaed -5 pre5ious a(or reated a's. The %oo'ing a's are here (2
repeaed.
1. The 'orkmen9s compensation Act, 19-3 "$### o% 19-3&
-. The chidren "peading o% a(or& Act, 1933 "## o% 1933&
3. The 'orkmen9s protection Act, 1934 "#$ o% 1935&
4. The Dock a(orers Act, 1934";#; o% 1934&
5. The pa2ment o% 'ages Act, 1936"#$ o% 1936&
6. The empo2er9s ia(iit2 Act, 193<";;$# o% 193<&
/. The Empo2ment o% chidren Act, 193<";;$# o% 193<&
<. The .aternit2 ,ene%it Act,1939"#$ o% 1939&
9. The .ires .aternit2 ,ene%it Act,1941";#; o% 1941&
14. The .otor $ehices "Dri5ers& 8rdinance,194-"$ o% 194-&
11. The .aternit2 ,ene%it "Tea Estate& Act, 1954 "77 o% 1954 &
1-. The Empo2ment "=ecords o% ser5ice & Act, 1951 ";#; o%195-&
13. The ,angadesh pantation Empo2ees pro5ident Fund ordinance, 1959";;;# o% 1959&
14. The coa .ines "Fi7ation o% =ates o% 'ages& ordinance,1964 ";;;#; o% 1961&
15. The =oad Transport 'orkers ordinance , 1961 ";;$## o% 1961&
16. The .inimum 'ages ordinance ,1961";;;#$ o% 196-&
1/. The pantation a(or ordinance ,196-";;#; o% 196-&
1<. The Apprenticeship ordinance,196-"#$# o% 196-&
19. The Factories Act, 1965"#$ o% 1965&
-4. The shops and Esta(ishment Act, 1965"$## o% 1965&
-1. The Empo2ment o% a(or "standing orders& Act, 1965 "$## o% 1965&
--. The companies pro%its " 'orkers participation& Act, 196< ";## o% 196<&
-3. The industria =eations ordinance, 1969";;## 1969&
-4. The ne'spaper empo2ees "condition o% ser5ice& Act, 19/4";;; o% 19/4&
-5. The Dock 'orkers "=eguation o% Empo2ment& Act, 19<4 ";$## o% 19<4&>/?
There are sti -5 5aid a's deaing 'ith a(or and industria issues ha5e not (een repeaed or
consoidated and as such the ,angadesh a(or code, -446 athough a consoidated act has nor
consoidated a the a's in the %ied. Furthermore, athough the name o% the a' is
,angadesh a(or code, in %act, it is not a code rather a consoidating egisation on2.
The Bangladesh Labor Law !"end"ent# 20$%
,angadesh 6a(or 6a' "Amendment& ,i -413 'as passed on .onda2 15 @u2 -413 in the
0ationa Pariament here in ,angadesh. The ne' a' has seen amendments to a tota o% </
sections o% the 6a(or Act -446. The (i came a%ter a %actor2 (uiding coapse in Apri 'hich
kied more than 1,13- garment 'orkers and sparked de(ate o5er a(or sa%et2 and rights. This
caused increasing internationa pressure (oosting the dri5e to (ring %or'ard this much
a'aited amendment. Ta7 concessions o%%ered (2 Aestern countries and o' 'ages ha5e
heped turn ,angadesh9s garment sector into the countr29s argest empo2ment generator
'ith annua e7ports 'orth B-1 (iion. +i7t2 percent o% e7ports go to Europe.
The amendment incorporates some pro5isions incuding ao'ing %ormation o% trade unions
'ithout in%orming the %actor2 o'ners. 8ther pro5isions incuding resoution o% con%icts o5er
ega %inancia rights through ar(itration, ensuring sa%et2 measures %or 'orkers at their
'orkpaces, mandator2 eection %or 'orkers9 participation committees and introducing
compusor2 group insurance poicies ha5e aso (een incuded in the ne' a'. ,esides, the
a' aso incudes pro5isions %or %ormation o% a centra %und to impro5e i5ing standards o%
'orkers, depositing a 5.4 per cent net pro%it o% companies 'ith di%%erent 'orkers9 'e%are and
pro5ident %unds. The amendment restricts trans%er o% trade union mem(ers %rom one %actor2
to another o% the same o'ner a%ter an2 a(or unrest.
According to the amendment, empo2ees 'oud no onger need appro5a %rom %actor2 o'ners
to %orm trade unions. 0o', 'orkers 'oud 1ust need to app2 to the 6a(or Directorate %or
authori*ation. The amendment aso ao's trade unions to (e %ormed in di%%erent
administrati5e 'ings o% a %actor2, 'hich 'as not permitted under the e7isting a'.
8ne 'oman representati5e 'oud (e incuded in the trade union e7ecuti5e committee i% the
%actor2 has -4 per cent 'omen 'ork%orce.
An2 con%ict (et'een the 'orkers and the o'ners o5er an2 ega issues incuding %inancia
ones 'i (e reso5ed through ar(itration and (oth the parties can %ie case at the 6a(or 3ourt
in case o% no mutua settement.